KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's domestic tourism continued to demonstrate resilience in the third quarter of 2025, recording 72.6 million visitors, representing a 9.6 percent year-on-year increase, according to official data.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement on Thursday that compared with the second quarter of 2025, visitor numbers edged slightly lower, dropping by 1.6 percent.
According to the DOSM, domestic travel in the third quarter was influenced by public and school holidays, which together supported the growth in domestic tourism.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's domestic tourism expenditure reached 29.8 billion ringgit (7.29 billion U.S. dollars) during the quarter, marking a 16.7 percent growth compared to the same period last year.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, expenditure increased by 2.2 percent compared with the second quarter of 2025.
"Malaysia's domestic tourism is one of the key economic pillars, driven by growing visitor numbers, higher expenditure, and strong performance across tourism-related industries. This growth trajectory is expected to continue, solidifying the sector's importance to the country's overall economic health," said the DOSM. (1 ringgit equals 0.24 U.S. dollars) ■
